Fantastic Fights

We have arrived at the very last Fighting Fantasy book in the main series. What a wild ride it has been. The only question that now remains is whether Tomb of the Golden Skull by Ian Livingstone with art by Karl Kopinski is a worthy note for the series to conclude on. Also I share some thoughts about the series as a whole in a bumper set of closing remarks. There’s also a small surprise revelation...

We’re doing another bonus episode and perhaps appropriately for Halloween we’re covering the first part of Bite the Hand, an epic two volume zombie apocalypse gamebook from Joseph Daniels who did the rather interesting Ghosts of Craven Manor previously covered on the podcast.

We’re at the penultimate mainline Fighting Fantasy book (at the time of going to press) with Ian Livingstone’s The Dungeon on Blood Island which forms a sequel of sorts to Deathtrap Dungeon and Trial of Champions. Sukumvit might have the original Deathtrap Dungeon but his brother Lord Carnuss reckons it can’t be that hard to build a murderous underground challenge so he’s created his own and made...

It’s another bonus episode as we play through Tarzan and the Tower of Diamonds by Richard Reinsmith (who I repeatedly call Neimsmith through the course of the episode). Art is by Jeff Butler and the frankly awesome cover art is by Jeff Easley. It’s another Endless Quest book published by TSR, best known for being the original publishers of Dungeons and Dragons. The Conan book we played a while bac...

We’re edging ever closer to the end of the Fighting Fantasy series with Shadow of the Giants by Ian Livingstone with art by Mike McCarthy. Giants. Big lads. Hefty fellas. They’re a problem for Allansia and it’s basically all your fault. Can this book break away from the very settled template Ian Livingstone has had for his more recent work? Listen along to find out.

This is another bonus episode and we’re playing Coils of Hate by Mark Smith with some help from Dave Morris. Art was by Terry Oakes and the cover is by Mark Salwowski. Can you help save the Judain people of the city of Godorno from extinction and what is that enormous purple monster made out of hate doing there? Listen along to find out more. Stuart Lloyd has created a remixed version of Coils of...

It’s time to bid a fond hello to one of the original creators of Fighting Fantasy as we enjoy Secrets of Salamonis written by Steve Jackson with help from Jonathan Green and art from Tazio Bettin. This is Jackson’s first Fighting Fantasy book since Creature of Havoc way back in 1989. Is this a triumphant return to the genre that he helped define? Listen along to find out.

We continue our deep dive into the Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, the Ireland adjacent fantasy series from Saban Entertainment, creators of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. This is episode 12 in which several extremely complicated and unnecessary plans are hatched and Rohan behaves even more like a spoiled toddler than usual.

It’s another debut writer for Fighting Fantasy. In fact at the time of recording it’s the last debut writer for the series in the shape of Rhianna Pratchett, noted scriptwriter for the gaming industry and daughter of the legendary Terry Pratchett. Crystal of Swords is her first gamebook but is it any good? Listen along to find out.

It’s a little change of pace this episode as HJDoom tackles a solo journaling RPG called Thousand Year Old Vampire in which a structured set of rules and a series of prompts help you navigate the life story of an ancient undead fiend. It’s won awards and everything but how much fun is it and does it offer anything to people coming at it from the perspective of gamebooks as a medium? Listen along t...

Don’t look now but there’s an assassin right behind you.

It’s a listener special this episode as we play Temple of the Spider God (recommended by listener Al), a digital gamebook by Jonathan Green released in 2011 by Tin Man Games who have also produced digital adaptations of classic Fighting Fantasy games. Jonathan Green is no stranger to this podcast but does this stack up well with his usually very high standard? Listen along to find out.

It’s a new author tackling Fighting Fantasy in this episode as we play Gates of Death by experienced kids author and Fast Show alumni Charlie Higson with art by Vlado Krizan. It’s another familiar tale of demonic monsters trying to conquer the world but will it tickle my fancy? Listen along to find out.

It’s bonus episode time again and we’re taking a look at a book based on the IP of the notoriously litigious Nintendo corporation, Double Trouble featuring the Super Mario Bros. It’s aimed at the under 10s but surely our gallant hero HJDoom will find a way to screw it up. Apologies for the sound quality in this one - I’m wrangling some new tech and still working out the kinks.

We’re back in extremely familiar territory as Ian Livingstone takes us on a tour of some of Allansia’s most recognisable settings in The Port of Peril. With art by Vlados Krizan we journey through Chalice to the Moonstone Hills and on to Darkwood Forest and Port Blacksand in search of the means to vanquish an old enemy. Don’t forget that the Lindenbaum Prize is currently taking submissions. Find m...

“Conan! What is best in life?”  “Why, it’s listening to a middle aged man play an adventure gamebook based on my many adventures of course.” In this episode HJDoom, a man who isn’t even sure he has thews, never mind mighty ones, takes on Conan the Outlaw by Roger E Moore and art by Ron Randall. Will this meet with his favour? Listen along to find out.

Staples to mark this milestone. It’s a big departure for the later series as it takes place in modern day and there’s also an entirely new combat system. Otherwise there’s more than a hint of the familiar about proceeding as you explore a zombie infested castle looking for the twenty to thirty different items you’ll need to escape. It might be a fresh approach but is it any good? Listen along to f...

It’s time for another bonus episode this time featuring The Ghosts of Craven Manor by Joseph Daniels. This horror gamebook reads like a mash up between Day of the Tentacle and Quantum Leap. Is that a good thing? Listen along to find out.

It’s a bittersweet episode of Fantastic Fights as we bid farewell to Jonathan Green whose series of late Fighting Fantasy books have been a real high point for the series as a whole. Can he bow out strong with Night of the Necromancer? Listen along to find out.

We round off a trilogy of Jonathan Green Fighting Fantasy books with Stormslayer, which follows Bloodbones and Howl of the Werewolf. Is it a case of the third time’s the charm or is this book falling at the final hurdle? With art from experienced illustrator Stephen Player this takes more of a classic fantasy approach than the more horror themed Howl of the Werewolf. Eagle eyed fans will notice a...

We’ve seen a fair amount of Jonathan Green lately and that’s not changing anytime soon as we play Howl of the Werewolf, his 2007 book with artwork by the redoubtable Martin McKenna. We’ve got a distinctly gothic horror vibe on display here as we head into the dark realm of Lupravia in search of the monster that infected us with lycanthropy. What could possibly go wrong? Listen along to find out. R...

We’re doing another open world book this episode in the form of the first Steam Highwayman book by Martin Noutch with art by Ben May. It’s a whopper of a Victorian science fiction extravaganza weighing in at over 1000 sections and featuring all manner of systems and a whole host of different plot lines to explore. Is it any good? Listen along to find out.  Note that the review portion starts...

We’re back on another modern Fighting Fantasy book (2006 was basically last week right?) with Bloodbones by Jonathan Green with art by Tony Hough. This is a book with an interesting history as it was originally supposed to be part of the original run. It’s not often you get to have another go at something in this world but does it land? Listen along to find out.

It’s bonus episode time again and we’re playing Dave Morris’s unique take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This is a digital gamebook (played on iOS) which always make for an interesting departure from the classic formula. How will Morris’s take on a classic stand up to the original? Listen along to find out.

Ian Livingstone is back! Eye of the Dragon written in 2005 is the first new Fighting Fantasy book since 1995 and Livingstone’s first book since 1992. We’re in proper old school mode for this extended dungeon crawl which has the added bonus of Martin McKenna’s always exceptional artwork. Will it be able to recapture the magic of the series for a new generation? Listen along to find out. The review...